Babalu Tacos & Tapas

Name

Babalu Tacos & Tapas

Legal name

Spell Restaurant Group, LLC

Website

https://eatbabalu.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

2010

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

51–100 employees

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Casual Dining Restaurants

NAICS

Full-Service Restaurants (722511), Caterers (722320), Food Services and Drinking Places (722)

SIC

Retail-Eating & Drinking Places (5810), Retail-Eating Places (5812)

akta.pro primary industry

Ethnic & Regional Cuisine Restaurants (THAFACAD)

akta.pro secondary industry

All-Day Dining Restaurants (THAFACAJ)

Keywords

• Casual dining restaurants
• Latin American cuisine
• Tapas-style dining
• Food catering services
• Handcrafted cocktails

Headquarters

HQ city

Memphis, Tennessee

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices2 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Supply Chain, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Infrastructure

Revenue model

1. Dine-in Service: Traditional restaurant dining with made-from-scratch dishes and handcrafted cocktails
2. To-Go and Delivery Orders: Takeout and delivery services through online ordering platform and DoorDash
3. Catering Services: Full-service catering for private events including specialty tapas-style hors d'oeuvres, taco bars, and platters
4. Family Packs: Pre-packaged taco bar kits for takeout at home, priced at $70 (feeds 4), $85 (feeds 6), or $100 (feeds 8)

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels3 records

Core offering

Babalu Tacos & Tapas operates two full-service Memphis restaurants serving made-from-scratch Southern cuisine with Latin flair in a tapas-style format, complemented by handcrafted cocktails. The company sells dine-in meals, takeout family packs (priced at $70, $85, and $100 for feeds of 4, 6, and 8), online ordering for pickup and delivery, and full-service catering for private events including tapas-style hors d'oeuvres, taco bars, and platters.

Product overview

Babalu Tapas & Tapas operates as a unified restaurant brand with two Memphis locations offering a full-service dining experience. The core product is the restaurant itself, featuring made-from-scratch Southern cuisine with Latin influence served in a tapas-style format. The company extends its offering through catering services for events and private parties, and Family Packs for at-home dining. Weekly specials and social hours drive customer engagement. The business is locally owned by Spell Restaurant Group and does not appear to be a platform-based or modular software product.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Babalu Tapas & Tacos Restaurant Dining Full-service Southern cuisine restaurant with Latin flair serving tapas-style dishes, handcrafted cocktails, and made-from-scratch meals at two Memphis locations (Overton Square and East Memphis). Targets local diners and food enthusiasts seeking authentic, fresh casual dining experiences.
• Babalu Catering Catering and events service offering specialty tapas-style hors d'oeuvres, full service catering, custom delivery options, and taco bar packages for private parties, corporate functions, and celebrations in the Memphis area.
• Family Packs Takeout meal kits containing two proteins, one side, toppings, tortillas, chips and salsa for home taco bar preparation. Available in three sizes feeding 4, 6, or 8 people at $70, $85, and $100 respectively. Available all day for takeout only.
• Handcrafted Cocktails and Bar Program Handcrafted cocktail program featuring fresh juices and ingredients, including the award-winning margarita (Memphis Flyer Best of Memphis 2025 Best Margarita), Espresso Martini, and Spicy Peach Margarita. Served at both Memphis restaurant locations.

Segments1 record

Ideal customer profiles2 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Integration4 records

Partnerships

One partnership is on record.

• Spell Restaurant Groupparent_companyOthersParent company that owns Babalu Tacos & Tapas along with sister restaurants including Brookhaven Pub & Grill, LaCo, George's at Alys Beach, Shades 30a LLC, Shaka 30A LLC, Edwards, and LaCrema across Florida and Tennessee.

Scale indicators1 record

Recent moves1 record

Expansion highlights4 records

Broad incumbents

• Chipotle Mexican Grill: National fast-casual Mexican chain with broad scale, strong digital ordering, and delivery partnerships. Competes with Babalu for Mexican-cuisine occasions, particularly in the takeout and delivery channels in Memphis.
• Qdoba Mexican Eats: National fast-casual Mexican chain with strong delivery and catering programs. Comparable to Babalu on Mexican-cuisine positioning and especially relevant in catering and family-meal occasions.
• Moe's Southwest Grill: National fast-casual Mexican chain operating franchised units in the Memphis area. Overlaps with Babalu on Mexican-cuisine occasions and competes for lunch and takeout traffic.

Regional players

• Taco Mama: Southeast US regional fast-casual Mexican chain based in Alabama with a similar fresh, made-to-order taco-and-margarita positioning. Concept-level peer that competes in the same casual Mexican/cocktail niche but in different geographies.

Direct peers

• Bartaco: Multi-unit tapas-style Mexican restaurant chain with a similar menu philosophy (tacos, small plates, handcrafted cocktails) and elevated casual-dining atmosphere. Closest concept-level comparable to Babalu's tapas/Latin format and cocktail-led positioning.
• Maciel's Tortas & Tacos: Authentic Mexican eatery in Memphis specializing in tortas and tacos with dine-in and takeout service. Competes head-to-head with Babalu for the same Memphis Latin-cuisine diner segment with similar casual-dining pricing and format.
• Las Delicias Mexican Restaurant: Long-standing Memphis-based Mexican restaurant serving the local Memphis market with dine-in service and Mexican cuisine. Directly comparable to Babalu in geography, casual full-service format, and Latin cuisine positioning.
• El Mezcal Mexican Restaurant: Memphis Mexican restaurant offering dine-in and margarita-focused beverage program. Direct local competitor targeting the same Memphis diners seeking Latin cuisine and handcrafted cocktails.

Others

• Brookhaven Pub & Grill: Sister restaurant under Spell Restaurant Group operating in Memphis. Shares the same parent platform, back-office resources, and Memphis operating context as Babalu, providing a useful internal comparison point.
• LaCo Coastal Mexican: Sister Spell Restaurant Group concept in Seacrest Beach, Florida, led by the same Director of Operations (Jesse Robertson). Comparable in Mexican-cuisine positioning and Spell Group operating model, illustrating how Babalu could expand via the parent's multi-region platform.

Market position

Strengths1 record

Weaknesses1 record

Competitive moat3 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Facebookfacebook.com/BabaluOverton
• Instagraminstagram.com/eatbabalu
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/babalu-tacos-&-tapas

Compliance1 record

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles4 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Babalu Tacos & Tapas